Keeping track of Chicago area fire departments

Archive for November, 2013

Shortly before 0900 hrs on Saturday, November 30th, Chicago’s Main Fire Alarm Office received a call of a person in the water at the Humboldt Park Lagoon. Squad 2 was returning from being held on a working fire response and as the MFAO was dispatching them, they received information that it was an over zealous dog who had chased a flock of geese and not a person. Battalion 12 and Engine 57 reported on scene with Truck 36 and confirmed that they had a dog about 25 feet from shore in about 5 feet of water (according to fishing depth charts I checked out on-line). Squad 2 had members suited up as they arrived and proceeded to make the rescue. As Squad 2’s member got ready to lasso the pooch with a life preserver, the dog decided he had enough and began to swim in towards his waiting rescuer. At this point, Squad 2’s member abandoned the life preserver and grabbed the dog by the collar. For a brief moment, the dog’s weight broke the ice and caused it to go under, almost causing the CFD member to take a complete dip in the icy water. However, the dog was quickly wrangled in, lifted out of the water and made a quick run to it’s owner. The dog looked a little sheepish as it climbed into a CPD squad who took the owner and her dog home.

Barn fire near Woodstock ignited by hay ‘spontaneously combusting’

A total of 16 area departments from as far as Walworth, Wis., were called at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to assist with the blaze at 16812 Kunde Road in an unincorporated area of McHenry County.

Firefighters arrived to find a 40-foot-tall, 150-foot-wide barn on fire in the rural area that borders Woodstock and Union. No one was in the barn, and several animals escaped safely, although not all are accounted for.

The barn contained as many as eight sheep, about a dozen roosters and chickens, 750 bales of hay weighing 100 pounds each, and machinery, Deputy Chief Terry Menzel said.

Crews had the fire contained to the T-shaped barn by 8:30 p.m. More than half of the departments were called to the scene to help provide water because no fire hydrants were near the residence, Capt. Brendan Parker said. Firefighters remained on the scene Wednesday as the controlled-burn was expected to last another 24 hours.

Firefighters also brought an excavator to the scene to pull apart the bales of hay and put out the fire quicker. The contents in the barn destroyed due to the fire cost about $75,000.

Investigators later determined the fire ignited from wet and dry hay – more than six weeks old – spontaneously combusting, Menzel said.

No one was injured during the incident.

Barn near Woodstock catches fire for second time

Firefighters had to return Thursday morning to a property where a barn caught fire for a second blaze, the Woodstock Fire Rescue District said.

At 2:24 a.m., firefighters were called to another barn at 16812 Kunde Road in unincorporated McHenry County near Woodstock by the property owner.

The cause of the second fire is under investigation, but it is believed winds changed directions during the night and ignited an ember from a large amount of hay, according to a fire district news release.

The hay had been moved because of the previous fire, which is believed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion.

Because there are no hydrants in the area, Woodstock called crews from Marengo, McHenry Township, Union, Harvard, Huntley, Fox Lake, Cary, Nunda Rural, Hebron and the Emergency Management Agency.

Northbrook firefighters were called to a house this afternoon at 2135 Brentwood Road for a report of smoke in the building. Reportedly there was nothing showing on arrival by Tower 12 but within minutes there was thick smoke everywhere. The alarm was upgraded to a Code 4 for the working fire, but after companies made entry, the source was determined to be the furnace.

Found this picture from New Orleans just after hurricane Katrina. There was a rumor that this demo rig demo’d a house as a demo for a CFD chief. Anybody know what this is???? Did Ferarra ever sell one??

Strong Arm fire and rescue vehicle: an articulating and telescopic extreme duty aerial device capable of flowing 1500 GPM and lifting 1,800 to 10,000 pounds. The Fifth Man Nozzle is made from hardened stainless steel. With 50 individual jets, the Fifth Man Nozzle is perfectly suited for aspirating foam and creating a superior blanket of protection. Additionally, the hardened stainless steel nozzle is capable of breaking through concrete walls and roofs, corrugated steel containers, burglar bars and other obstructions routinely encountered by fire fighters. The extreme lifting capacity make the Strong Arm a great tool for collapse or high angle rescue operations.

ABC7 has an article about charges being filed against a student that recently assaulted a CFD paramedic:

The ABC7 I-Team has learned that another Chicago Fire Department paramedic has been attacked by someone she was trying to help. This latest case resulted in felony charges filed Monday against a DePaul University student.

This is happening at least once a week in Chicago– paramedics jumped and pummeled–in some cases, by people whose lives they are trying to save. On Monday, fire union officials were at the young man’s court appearance to press for felony charges against him …

“I want everyone to know around the entire country to keep your hands off of our paramedics, our fire fighters and our police officers because they are there to help you. They are called to assist you, not to be your personal punching bag,” said Tom Ryan, president, Firefighters Local #2.

Chicago paramedic Kelly Begley was dispatched to this DePaul student apartment building on November 1. The call was an intoxicated individual who fell and injured his head. After Begley arrived, it was her head that was injured, she says, by the student she was called to treat.

According to Cook County prosecutors, Erik Kawar’s girlfriend called paramedics when he came home drunk, with a head injury from hitting the pavement. Paramedic Begley testified in a Cook County Court that Kawar swore at her and then hit [her] in the face, giving her a black eye, then pushed her into the wall and fell on her. She ended up transported to Illinois Masonic.

“This [is] happening repeatedly, … there have been four other cases and that was only a few weeks ago, it’s happening on a weekly basis and we are not going to put up with it,” said Ryan.

“There are very few things you can count on in this world 100%, when you dial 911 we are there every time. And we do not deserve to be assaulted on the scene.”

The Cook County State’s Attorney says the majority of [these cases] end in a conviction or a guilty plea.

Shortly before 1530hrs on Wednesday, November 27th, companies in Chicago’s 23rd Battalion were dispatched to the report of a garbage can on fire in the rear of a building on the 8000 Block of South Ellis. While companies were en route, the Englewood Fire Alarm Office informed Engine 122 that they were getting a Full Still as they were getting reports that the rear of the building had become involved. Very shortly after that, the alarm was elevated to a Still & Box for the reports of people being trapped on the second floor. Engine 122 arrived on-scene and reported that they had a fire in the rear of a 3-story, 50 x 65 ordinary, occupied apartment building.

This is also before any lines were laid and before Engine 72 arrived. Eric Haak photo

This is before any lines were laid and before Engine 72 arrived. Eric Haak photo

The balconies of the exposure are involved. eric Haak photo

Engine 72 positioned itself at the mouth of the alley on 80th Street and led out several lines to sector 3. The first several images were before any lines were laid and before Engine 72 arrived. You can see that the balconies of the sector 2 exposure were involved and the volume of fire between these two buildings was very heavy, which led to the 2-11. The sector 2 exposure was a large 100 x 75 U-shaped courtyard apartment building. The fire consumed the rear porches of the fire building very quickly and the entire rear of the structure collapsed into the yard.

Engine 72 gets the first line operating while a second is stretched. Eric Haak photo

Back porch collapses into the yard between the building and garage. Eric Haak photo

Companies eventually removed both garage doors and fought the remainder of the incident from the rear windows of the garage. Engine 126 took a hydrant on Dobson Avenue, one block east of the fire and ran two lines through the gangway to the alley. One of these lines was eventually used from a balcony of the sector 2 exposure in order to get a better POV. The space available in sector 3 for companies to work in was very limited. The 2-11 was struck out at 1619 hrs. One civilian was transported from the scene in good condition.

I wish I could have gotten more shots from the front with Tower Ladder 34 but the police taped off the entire front of the building and moved everyone off Ellis. I was only able to get a few shots off before they moved us. The goofy thing was that not much was happening in the front and the alley was far more dangerous but they never taped that off. Go figure.

Fox32 has an article about the Chicago Firefighter’s Union collecting items to help resident that were affected by the recent tornado’s downstate.

The Chicago Fire Department and the Chicago Firefighters Local 2 Union are supporting Illinois residents affected by last week’s devastating tornadoes. They’re collecting donations, and you can help!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, visit any Chicago fire house from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. through Friday, Nov. 29 to give to those in need. You can also mail them in. The members of Engine 123 started the idea, and now it has spread to the entire force. Engine 123 was the late Herbie Johnson’s home firehouse. They’re remembering him, as they organize this relief effort. The donations will be organized and delivered over the weekend.

They recommend donating water, cleaning supplies, 30-gallon plastic drums, gloves, heavy duty plastic bags, gift cards to home improvement stores, pharmacies and grocery stores. If you would like to make a monetary contribution, please direct those to Local 2’s headquarters, located at 440 w. 42nd Street in Chicago.

Several Local 2 members traveled to central Illinois over the last week to assist the clean-up effort amid the astounding devastation. Homes were leveled and residents have lost everything. Local 2 is America’s second oldest firefighter and paramedic union. They say they’re at their best when you’re at your worst – always there to lend a helping hand when you’re in need.